About 1000-2000 employees are in the process of being laid off this week, mostly within the Sales organization and sub teams within specialists and enablement. The organization is planning to run extremely lean next year with little to no special programs or teams. Best of luck to those who have been or are being notified to find another role within 60 days within the company. It is going to be very, very challenging.
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CEO - Creates an image, does the best and grounds the value but ultimately ex-oracle, comes with an EGO, not a big fan of Europeans especially the Brits, that’s what I’ve heard but who knows!
C SUITE EXECUTIVES - Need more diversity, talks about themselves, thinks they know what their people want but they haven’t got a clue
EVP - Probably need this role, although I question whether they have the people in mind
SVP - Regionally makes sense to have representations, I counted that we have 5 female SVP otherwise it’s all male dominated, no diversity and very rarely speak to their staff
AVP - This is where it gets questionable and middle management begins to form
VP - This here we can question, if we need this role in the organisation the amount of white male dominance, single minded, traditionalist and never wanting to accept new ideas, absence of leadership, top down management - there’s almost no point having them around
RVP OR SENIOR DIRECTOR - This here as well, so many senior directors who are single contributors and don’t do work. I’ve never seen them elevate their future successors. Then I see some Senior Directors doing the work of VPs
DIRECTOR - Here is a mix, probably the hardest as they get all their weight of the organisation handed over to them. A glass ceiling! They do the work of most and manage teams. But there’s a problem here too, so many are individual contributors as well. They need to look at all their talent pool from AVP to Director level and ask what value can these people bring
SENIOR MANAGER/MANAGER - Not all managers are good managers, some command and control, others help
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND - does the work and have no idea how to progress as this organisation is bureaucratic with an Ohana vibe
Ohana! Just gave myself a back massage with a rolling pin. AMA
Salesforce is a great employer, better than any other I worked for in the past anyway. Blessing and a problem are the "golden handcuffs". Financial incentives, wellness perks and other benefits make it difficult to leave the company especially in the 1st 4 years.
Heavily siloed employees in various IT departments have limited to none growth opportunities and many just perform the same task over and over without anything new learned. This is true especially in smaller offices outside of the main hubs.
Timing is everything and I hope for many victims of this last layoff this was the kick in the butt they needed to motivate them, move-on and hopefully grow. I suspect more "restructuring" is on the cards for those roles (mine included) that haven't been part of this 2nd wave of culling. At least I can prepare, unlike the poor b–tards that were part of this last layoff.
Ohana is just another tool that they use to keep us from speaking up against the 'family.' Its a culture of fear at best.
I was laid off on Tuesday. It was a complete shock. I’ve been a top performer for years. Been promoted 5 times in 9 years, selected for executive leadership programs, surpassed annual goals etc. This was not performance based, it was a true restructuring. They needed to cut lower priority areas so that they could fund higher priority areas. We were told on the all hands call that a large number of layoffs were senior director level plus, meaning that the most expensive employees in low priority areas were the first to go. The timing was not a coincidence... anyone who understands how corporate balance sheets work would tell you the same. Still... it leaves a terrible taste in my mouth. I’ve worked my tail off to get promotions and raises, and I’m rewarded by getting laid off now that I’m too expensive. Doesn’t really make you want to put in that extra effort knowing that it may ultimately be your own downfall. I think the executive leadership team had the right intentions, but the farther down the line the layoffs fall, the bigger the chance that layoffs will be political and will not be fair. I know a whole team that was let go because the new manager was looking to clean house, not because it was a low priority area. Lots of politics, backstabbing, and chess playing as you get to three or four levels removed from Marc. I’m hopeful that I will indeed find another role internally. And I’ve already been contacted by many hiring managers. who knows, I may even end up getting a better role and a pay raise out of this. End of the day, it still s—s. The ohana bs is on full display, We’re still in a pandemic, parents are still Juggling working and parenting/teaching, the all hands was completely tone deaf, and morale is low. Hope if doesn’t do unrepAirable damage to the company. I’ve never seen so much backlash from the safe employees.
To the id–t mentioning strikes, you’re embarrassing yourself. You’re not working in a coal mine. You can’t accept the salary and benefits when times are good and then unionise when you aren’t happy. Go work in the public service. Leave your Hawaii swag at the door on the way out.
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/big-companies-unleash-a-wave-of-pink-slips-as-coronavirus-keeps-hammering-jobs-market-141401529.html
Salesforce has been making lots of huge acquisitions recently - most notably Tableau and MuleSoft. This naturally leads to many consolidated and redundant roles (as well as some new ones). I can't help but wonder if they had been planning mass layoffs for a while, and if they were just waiting for the right time and excuse to do it.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the perfect opportunity.
They started by pledging not to conduct any significant layoffs for 90 days, which they heavily promoted at the time - knowing full well what was coming. Then, they announced the mass layoffs, and timed it rather perfectly. The layoffs were announced after hugely successful quarter, where they passed $5 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time. They knew that this good news would overshadow the bad news of the mass layoffs, thus, minimising the effect of the mass layoffs on public perception and their stock price.
I'm very sorry for all those affected and hope they manage to find new and better roles soon.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-08-26/benioff-says-cloud-based-computing-may-be-end-of-software-video
Go to 6:50 to 7:00 minute mark and he uses the word stakeholder capitalism.
https://www.investopedia.com/stakeholder-capitalism-4774323
What is forgot to mention about 54000k employees is unions. If you want to stop this nonsense, you get a union and everyone strikes. That solves the problem real quick. now the employees become the stakeholders.
Just a thought. Like he said no lifetime employment. 1000 get terminated. When the other 53000 left say no...you cant do that and refuse to work, then you change the entire process.
Imagine...53000K employees refused to work.
Sorry, but the "you have to find another role within 60 days" thing is just a ruse. If you've been notified, there are no other roles for you. They have no intention of keeping you on the payroll after that period. Apply for all the other roles you want, I guarantee you won't get picked for any of them.
This is a very common, albeit extremely sh!tty, tactic used by all the SV companies for years. It's essentially a way of giving you severance while keeping you around to do a little bit more work (or train your replacement), and, especially, reduce the chances you'll claim unlawful termination and sue them for it.
@3yik both are kinda true, just depends on context. no company is immune to wall street pressure, so it grew very fast and when that happens it fills up with layers of opportunistic middle managers that instill infighting and competition to drive more value. happens everywhere, people just thought Salesforce was different. it's not, it's like every other company but since the company sold them on some ideal it couldn't keep, people feel bitter and betrayed. kinda funny anyone bought into it in the first place.
its 2pm in the UK and still no one confirming any layoff over here. Someone says Ireland was yesterday, I've not heard anything.
So what changed? AFAIK everyone has always upheld salesforce as this pillar of success that people were beating down the door to join - never heard anyone criticize it. Now it’s painted as a dystopian nightmare of inhuman pressure bad management, backstabbing and so on. Which is it?
These layoffs are related to where you live instead of the job you do or how you performed. I was part of a team that was majority based in a different city to where I live. Everyone in that city (and in my team) survived and I was let go. Thanks Marc
I lost my job at Salesforce on Tuesday. I wasn’t a lazy employee. My projects always delivered the goal numbers and then some. I was lower on the totem pole, so I never had a voice. Go higher up and it’s a 3-ring circus of overpaid people who don’t do the work but always have an opinion. Getting rid of me and my coworkers makes no sense. Our salaries were nothing compared to just one level above us. And we silently kept our heads down and kept the machine running. Want a promotion there? Make kissing up your top priority and learn to kick down while you’re doing it. Ohana? A dysfunctional family at best. I saw people go through therapy to deal with the pressure and workloads while there. And the worst part about it is, I’m going to have to try to find another position within the company that I resent. Because I have mouths to feed and I am terrified I will also lose the roof over their heads if I don’t get hired again ASAP. Looking for a new company to work for under the current circumstances is painful. But not as painful as feeling like used piece of TP being flushed down a record breaking $5B toilet. By the way Marc, you’re welcome for my contributions in hitting that. Talk about insult to injury. He won’t even address what he’s done to us. What a coward.
UK & Ireland Thread (layoffs today): @OP+16FqSvXh
Marc: You can assume we are going to rebalance 5 to 10 percent of our workforce every year
Source:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-08-26/benioff-says-cloud-based-computing-may-be-end-of-software-video
Australian and London employees being 3 months, not 60 days. I guess it makes up for North American wages.
Salesforce performance plans are never followed by the way the process is intent to highlight.
People have biases and these biases are often reflected in the performance review. For example, especially in CSG you’re a number. Despite you bringing in revenue, helping the Ohana, the GTM demands your expertise to help sell - you’re a number that hasn’t hit their Utilisation. Instantly without looking at the contribution you make, you’re automatically a low performer and low performance.
When they tell you that you’re at risk the reality they know who needs to go. With only 48 headcount available within the UK I very much doubt they are reallocating resources. You didn’t hit a number and they need you to go.
I was laid off and not given a new position in the company. I have to scrounge for it. 60 days till my meh severance. I’m a single mom who barely gets by now. What a horrible time to do this to us. I’m scared I won’t be able to pay my bills right about in time for the Holidays. I’m really upset and although I shouldn’t, I’m taking this personally.
Source? How can people in Germany and UK have taken a hit now as its 2am and there and we did not hear anything so far?
Too late! Germany a hit and heard that UK took the biggest hits. The most insensitive message from the LT then expects you to be normal - this is abnormal!
What people are missing here and is not being reported on this troll site is the fact that many of these “layoffs” are actually employees being moved into new roles. I.E. so and so was on a performance plan and will be let go and one of these, “layoffs” will have the option to take a new job inside the company. If you are going to trash the company which does great things for equal rights and also fantastic things for local communities perhaps get your facts straight. And google, Cisco, FB, Oracle, Adobe? Seriously people, all those companies have had similar situations they have been through. Let’s keep this factual and not just post random inaccurate info.
"Is there anyone here from outside of the US that has been let go?"
Yes some employees from Canada and Australia have confirmed the layoffs over there.
However I have not seen anyone confirming layoffs in the UK on this thread nor on Reddit. Same goes for other European countries (France, Ireland, Germany etc..).
If you work in a European office and have any update please do let the rest of us know. Good luck All.
Marc kept to his 90 day pledge and actively encouraged other CEOs to do so as well. After acquisitions, it’s always likely in any business that overlapping roles might be identified. From what I’ve heard and read here, people who have been made redundant have been offered far more favourable terms than any other employer I know of: 60 days to find another role plus multiple months severance pay.
The below comment was made by a trash troll person booo
With the number of crybabies here it’s a wonder we had any success at all.
I keep seeing that numbers between 1000 (which is what's being reported in the media) and 2000 layoffs. Can anyone clarify what the actual number is? And how many in North America?
You are underestimating how companies attract talent and its not only money. Its about job security too. And I'm not talking about job for life bs. But whether a company will come in the way of their own ambitions. Can't attract the best if you are known to treat your people like garbage. Plenty of people in the company had the luxury of choosing whether to join Salesforce or not. Stuff like, "how did this company treat me during a pandemic" could factor heavily in future decision making. This is stress that nobody needs. It will affect productivity and for the first time in a long I will keep an eye open for competitor roles.
The only reason sf exists is for the street. Period. This is capitalism at its best. Stock is up and that’s all that matters. Get a clue. Learn to deal with it, and welcome to the real world. Unless you are a shareholder then sf owes you nothing. NOTHING. Tough love? Absolutely, but you will thank me later the next time you accept employment at a publicly traded company.
glassdoor says this is one of the best places to work though?
They will suffer from this. 2000 ex employees writing glassdoor reviews along with the current outraged employees + Great place to work reviews. People won't want to join this company. They will go to the likes of Facebook, Cisco and Google. This company is built by their employees, not Marc. How dare you Marc, you fat coward.
Can anyone else confirm if layoffs are really happening on Friday for UK and Ireland? I find this really hard to believe as I have been in two meetings today that both stated that all employees have been notified of termination. Is there anyone here from outside of the US that has been let go?
Adam Blitzer is a liar, saying Social Studio is still needed despite investing in a CDP. They cut the whole team.
I have lost all respect for Marc, it was just 3 months ago I was reading his book thinking this man is an icon.
The greed and lack of empathy on his face in that bloomberg interview mentioning that 'No job is permanent' and saying they will cut 5-10% of jobs every year. Pathetic. All this bs about trust, ohana etc.
Meanwhile in the All Hands that Gavin Patterson, part of the boys club, staring down playing on his phone, while Brent talks with a lack of empathy about job cuts.
Here in the UK, you are putting me and my family through s*** wondering if tomorrow I will lose my job, and most likely our house.
Marc and ELT have no clue what this bad publicity will do for them. They thought by announcing record profits on the same day as job cuts that everyone would focus on the good news. If it wasn't for this website, they would not have even mentioned it on the All Hands.
The smart thing would have been to announce record profits, then give layoff employees advance notice; so people have time to look for another job, and as a final resort do the job cuts in batches every few weeks.
I think after this blows over, we need to remember what Benioff and his team of lackeys have done. Banning travel, cutting snacks in some offices, extended phone renewals to 36 months, layoffs in Feb and now 2000 globally layoffs in Aug.
Meanwhile giving out $500 for home office equipment, purchasing Evergage CDP when they are already developing a CDP product internally,
buying Keith Block a Ferrari for 200k, $20 mill for schools last week, mentioning no layoffs for 90 days and now posting record profits.
If this is not for cost cutting, why announce job cuts in the midst of a pandemic? Judging by Benioffs Bloomberg interview this is just Round 1 of 5-10% layoffs every year. Time to look for another job, and trash Glassdoor.
I am embarrassed. How can we be proud anymore? Cutting people’s jobs during economic uncertainty should be a last resort for any good company.. I think it’s safe to say that it’s no longer the ‘best company to work for’
I wonder what will happen to Western Europe. In the German, Dutch, French, Belgium office, you have managers managing a manager who then also manage a manager.
So top-heavy (all hired via the so-called old boys network), very little sales across the board...
The enormous growth figures must be coming from acquisitions, as I have not seen any significant deal being done since March for Western Europe? Sure, deals are coming in, but I just don't understand from which angle.
If Service Cloud is affected, then surely the guys in the MC/ Datorama team would be in trouble too? Mulesoft, Tableau. Heroku... ? Wondering if it is sinking in with my colleagues - people don't seem to be too stressed at the moment?
Sorry for everyone who got screwed by the jerks at SFDC. Anyone know if these layoffs are primarily focused on the SF offices, or are other locations such as Seattle affected?